Rolling gate latch



J 27,1970 H.-G. YOUNG 3,492;03-6

' ROLLING GATE LATCH Filed March 18, 1968 FIG. 2

INVENTOR: HOM G. YOUNG FIG. l

United States Patent M 3,492,036 ROLLING GATE LATCH Homer G. Young, 6617 Fulton Ave., Van Nuys, Calif. 91401 Filed Mar. 18, 1968, Ser. No. 713,629 Int. Cl. E05c 3/12, 13/00 US. Cl. 292213 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION With the advent of the crowded paved parking lot taken together with the need of the cyclone security fence, the old-fashioned swinging gate is being more and more replaced by the rolling type gate. By rolling type gate, as referred to herein, is meant the type of gate which opens and closes by moving parallel to the fence. Such gates are customarily supported on rollers running on a track or the ground. Latching and locking these gates to prevent lateral movement, when closed, is a problem. None of the conventional gates or door closures have been successfully modified to accomplish this. In most cases a chain and padlock were resorted to to latch or lock such a gate. The need for a latch, preferably one which could be mounted either righthand or lefthand on either the gate or fence post was extremely desirable. It needed to be simple and inexpensive but rugged and serviceable.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention contemplates such a gate latch. It comprises a latch having a main frame of flat metal bent into the shape of an open U. A'n elongated slot extends longitudinally through the center of the frame for a portion of the length of the U-shaped frame. A wing plate is welded onto one side of the U-frame and extends at right angles thereto. A slot complementary and contiguous to the slot in the U is provided in the wing. By means of a pin, or the like, a flat C-shaped bolt is pivotally mounted within the slots in the U-frame and wing plate is swingably limited therein to latch and unlatch a fence or gate post serving as a keeper and is embraced within the confines of the closed C and the U-frame. A pair of brackets clamped onto the wing plate and the supporting post hold the latch rigid.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of this invention:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of the latch embodying this invention attached to a fence post;

FIGURE 2 is a side view of FIGURE 1 with the latch FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is a side view of the latch embodying this invention closed; and

FIGURE 5 is a top view of FIGURE 5.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION In FIGURE 1 the numeral designates a U-shaped frame formed from a'fiat plate bent into an open U as clearly shown in FIGURES 1, 3 and 5. Longitudinally of 3,492,036 Patented Jan. 27, 1970 the U-shaped frame 10 is a slot 11 extending longitudinally through the plate from the bottom of the U about /4 the length of both sides thereof, as best shown in FIGURE 1. Suitably afiixed to one side of frame 10, as by welding, casting integral with, or the like, and extending at a right angle thereto is a wing plate 12.

Also rigidly atfixed to both the wing plate 12 and the U-shaped frame 10* is a pivot or hinge 14 and into which a pin 17 is inserted. Also provided in the wing plate 12 is a second slot 18, shown best in FIGURE 2. Slot 18 mates with and is in open communication with slot 11 as will be more fully explained later.

Pivotally mounted on hinge 14 and swingably operating within slots 11 and 18 is a C-shaped plate or bolt 20. Said plate 20 is open on one end 22 and is partially closed on the opposite end 24, as best shown in FIGURE 3. Bolt 20 includes an arcuate finger 25 formed by the partially closed end 24 and on the opposite end 22 is a straight face 23. A hole 26 is provided in bolt 20 through which pin 16 is inserted and which forms a bearing or pivot about which bolt 20 swings. In a conventional manner pin 16 may be held in place by means of a cotter pin, nut, or the like. An upturned lip 26 is provided on the outside of plate 20 and it is provided with a hole 28 extending therethrough, as best shown in FIGURES 1, 2 and 4. A mating hole 30 to hole 28 is provided in the wing plate 12. Lip 26 serves as a knob or handle to operate bolt 20 and also as a stop to prevent excess rotational movement by abutting against the plate 12 in one direction. Holes 28'and 30 cooperate to accept a padlock (not shown) for securing the latch. In this connection it is pointed out here that alternate and multiple security locking of this latch is possible by placing an additional hole 32 in the plate, as shown in FIGURES 3 and 4. Additional holes, optionally may be located adjacent to hole 32 for increased multiple security locking.

A pair of clamps 34 and 36, respectively, are provided on the plate 12 and are detachably afiixed thereto by means of bolts 38, as shown for attachment to fence post 40.

OPERATION The latch embodying this invention can be attached either to the end fence post 40 forming the gate opening or to the end gate post 42. In addition, it optionally can be adapted to serve as a righthand or lefthand latch by means of the simple expedient of inverting the latch. If it is found inconvenient to padlock the latch closed by using the holes 28 and 30, the hole 32 can be used equally as well regardless of whether the latch is righthand, lefthand, upright or inverted.

By using a pair of clamps 34 and 36 the latch is maintained on post 40 or post 42 in a rigid upright position at all times. It is to be noted here that the preferred embodiment of this invention contemplates a rolling gate and fence using the conventional inch and a half to two inch round steel post but the size of the post or the nature of the material, or the shape thereof forms no part of this invention and the selection of a particular size latch can be made to accommodate various fence styles.

The C-shaped plate 20 is in its open position when the C and the U are coincident, as best shown in FIGURE 3. the C-shaped plate 20 freely rides about hinge 13 on pin 16 and-slides in the slots 11 and 18. When gate post 42 enters the U 10 and at the same time strikes against face 23, the C-shaped bolt 20 is caused to pivot on hinge 14. This causes the arcuate finger 25 to swing around the post 42, as shown in FIGURE 5. Finger 25 and the two sides of the U-shaped frame 10 then combine to encircle post 42 thereby solidly latching said post therewithin. At the same time the upturned lip 26 is swung around against wing plate 12 in which position it can be bolted or locked.

What is claimed is:

1. A rolling gate latch comprising:

a U-shaped frame adapted to embrace a post therewithin, said frame having a slot therein partially extending therethrough and longitudinally thereof from the base toward the ends;

a flat plate rigidly affixed at a right angle to said U- shaped frame and having a slot therein and extending partially therethrough, said slot being in open communication with said first mentioned slot in said U-shaped frame;

hinge means afliXed to said plate and said frame at the interconnection thereof; and

a C-shaped bolt swingably mounted on said hinge means, said bolt having a closing finger on one end thereof and a latching finger on the opposite end thereof and being adapted to receive and latch a post therein.

2. A rolling gate latch, according to claim 1, in which the C-shaped bolt is provided with an upturned lip intermediate the ends thereof adapted to abut against either the flat plate or the frame and limit the swinging move- 4 ment of said C-shaped bolt between open and closed positions.

3. A rolling gate latch, according to claim 2, in which there is provided a hole in the upturned lip and a companion hole in the fiat plate and a second hole intermediate the ends of the C-shaped bolt adapted to permit multiple security locks.

4. A rolling gate latch, according to claim 3, adapted to be mounted on either the stationary fence post or on lefthanded.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 538,078 4/1895 Kerler 2922l3 889,365 6/1908 Gray 292-216 3,266,831 8/1966 Banse 292235 X RICHARD E. MOORE, Primary Examiner U.S. Cl. X.R. 292244 

